Me gusta jugar al fútbol
/me ɡusta xuɡaɾ al futbol/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I like to play football" is translated into Spanish as Me gusta jugar al fútbol.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, balompié is occasionally used as a more formal alternative to fútbol.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the verb gustar is used with an indirect object pronoun me and the subject is the infinitive verb jugar.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the subject pronoun Yo with gustar (for example, Yo gusto jugar al fútbol), but in Spanish, the structure requires the indirect object pronoun me.
Did you know?
- The verb jugar originally comes from the Latin word 'iocus', which meant 'joke' or 'jest'.
- While fútbol is the universal term, the formal word balompié literally translates to 'ball-foot'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, saying jugar fútbol is common, but in Spain, it is standard to include the preposition al before the sport.
Examples in context
- Me gusta jugar al fútbol todas las tardes en el parque.I like to play football every afternoon in the park.
- Me encanta jugar al fútbol con mis amigos los fines de semana.I love to play football with my friends on weekends.
- Disfruto jugar al fútbol en el equipo de mi universidad.I enjoy playing football on my university team.
- Me gusta jugar al fútbol con mis amigos en el parque.I like to play football with my friends in the park.
- Me encanta jugar al fútbol los sábados en la cancha de mi barrio.I love to play football on Saturdays at my neighborhood field.
- Me gusta jugar al fútbol los sábados.I like to play football on Saturdays.
- A veces me gusta jugar al fútbol con amigos.Sometimes I like to play football with friends.
- No me gusta jugar al fútbol, prefiero el tenis.I don't like to play football, I prefer tennis.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their weekend hobbies at a cafe.
- Sofía¿Qué haces normalmente el fin de semana?What do you normally do on the weekend?
- MateoMe gusta jugar al fútbol en el parque.I like to play football in the park.
- Sofía¡Qué bien! A mí también me encanta el deporte.That's great! I also love sports.
- MateoDeberíamos jugar un partido juntos pronto.We should play a match together soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fútbol, jugar, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
